


collapsing as it sees the pain

by hollow_city



Series: broken hearts & twisted minds [16]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Child Neglect, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Loneliness, i have no idea what this is, wow! i wonder who it is??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 20:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19325266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollow_city/pseuds/hollow_city
Summary: on the property line between wayne and drake manor, there's a peach tree.aka, tim is sad.





	collapsing as it sees the pain

**Author's Note:**

> idk. i opened a prompt book and the first one was just the word "peaches" and i said what the fuck can i do with this and then i sadded everywhere and here we are  
> this is bad  
> (title from nothing left to say by imagine dragons)

There's a peach tree on the border between Wayne Manor and Drake Manor. It's tall, branches spidering out and stretching to the sky.

It's Tim's favorite spot in the whole world. Its branches split out low enough on the trunk that he can climb it without much trouble. Halfway up the tree, there is a spot big enough for a kid to sit comfortably. 

Tim's not sure who technically owns the tree, but he's never seen Mr. Wayne or anyone else out this far, so he figures it's as good as his. Good thing, too, because it's one of the only things that makes him happy. 

When his parents call once a month, he retreats to his tree and plays Pokemon on his DS until the sun starts to set. When his nanny forgets to check on him for the second week in a row but collects her check anyway, he brings his wrapped sandwich up to his tree and tells the chipmunks about his day. When he scrapes his knees on a fire escape while tailing Robin, he lounges against the trunk with a textbook resting over his thighs because climbing hurts too much. 

One day, while he's dangling upside down from one of the lowest branches with his fingertips brushing the grass, a loud sound interrupts his peaceful afternoon. Tim is so startled that the grip he had on the tree branch falters and he tumbles to the ground. He barely manages to twist enough that he doesn't land on his head. 

Before he can comprehend what's happening to him, a body barrels into his and begins an all-out assault on his face. Tim's entire body twists and thrashes until something wet and warm touches his cheek and drags all the way up to his forehead. 

Very quickly, Tim's distressed gasps morph into uncontrollable giggles. The big oaf of a dog standing over him makes a very happy snuffling sound when Tim reaches up to scratch at the short fur around his neck. After a good few minutes of rolling around in the grass with this mystery dog, Tim decides he should probably figure out who he belongs to. 

A quick glance at the jingling tags around the dog's neck tells Tim that, oh boy, this dog belongs to the Waynes. 

"Ace," Tim reads from one of the tags. The dog's big ears twitch and his tongue lolls out in a dopey grin. Tim smiles back. 

That isn't the last time Mr. Wayne's dog visits him at his peach tree. Tim starts to bring tennis balls and dog treats and extra bottles of water for the really hot days, on the off-chance that Ace escapes and runs over to say hello.

Tim spends many afternoons with Mr. Wayne's dog. He would feel bad for very nearly stealing their dog and making them worry, but then Ace starts showing up at the same time every other day, and Tim grows convinced that someone is letting him out on purpose. 

And then one day, Ace is late. Tim waits and waits until the sun sets and mosquitoes buzz in the edges of his vision.

Ace never comes. 

(Age had finally caught up to him. The speckled white creeping up his snout toward his floppy ears wasn't cosmetic.) 

Tim's visits to his tree are very lonely after that. 

Every day, Tim visits his tree and goes through the pictures he'd taken from the night before.

Until.

Robin doesn't show up. Batman doesn't show up. Batgirl hasn't shown up in weeks. Nightwing is nowhere to be found. 

Tim goes home empty-handed at the front end of a raging storm. 

The news runs the story of Jason Todd's death the next morning. 

Tim wants to visit his tree, his face alight with burning tears.

But there is no peach tree.

It had fallen in the storm and is nothing more than broken branches and rotting leaves. 

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
